Arriving at Lake Padden it became immediately apparent something big was going. It just so happened that our outing coincided with the NCAA Division Two Cross-Country Championships! Although this afforded some great entertainment, it also complicated things a bit, but thanks to great parents, drop off went down without a hitch and just as the starting pistol sounded for the Women’s race, we shot off into the woods and away from all the hustle and bustle. Travelling up the horse trails we quickly found a nice area off trail for opening circle. Despite some boisterous energy, we took some time to discuss our earth skills focus of The Art of Carving, and what our next steps would be down this path. The Explorers learned about the different trees, what properties each type of wood has, and what sorts of things they are good for making. Then the challenge of carving digging sticks was given to the boys. But before we could get into practicing our skills, it was clear these guys just needed some time to romp in the woods.
Tearing off up a steep hill, the Gray Wolf Pups quickly found themselves lost in the present, enjoying one another’s company, and working together on building some earth shelters. Despite the mentor’s intentions to jump into carving, they adapted to the energy of the boys, and scampered up the hillside after them and soon began helping out with the shelter construction gathering resources and offering pointers here or there on material usage and structural design. Pausing for a moment to reassess our plan for the outing, we formed a circle, collaborated, compromised, and came to a consensus on how best to utilize the time we had to balance free play interaction with the landscape and honing carving skills by getting plenty of time to get our blades into some wood.
After a good amount free play, boys naturally gravitated back down to our packs for some lunch and water before harvesting some materials for digging sticks. Utilizing a downed cedar, we focused on the slightly curved branches, a few inches in diameter, for a stick that already had a natural shape conducive to digging and the strength and rigidity of the denser branch wood that would hold up to some abuse unlike the softer, straight grain trunk wood that is great for fashioning fire boards and spindles for a fire by friction kit. Working our knives into the wood, boys quickly found the many knots of the branch wood difficult to work with and required patience, persistence, and sound technique to work through. Despite the strong focus, and disciplined tool usage, the Gray Wolf Pups couldn’t help but continue joking, laughing, and fostering a continued companionship amongst themselves that grows outing after outing, season after season. With some strong focus and good work under their belts, we had just enough time to scurry back up the steep incline and get in a little more play time on the landscape.
As the boys transitioned back into free play the mentors took some time to chat about how the outing was going they realized that things had gotten a little too quiet for comfort. Trekking up the hillside after the boys, they were headed off by another Explorer who relayed the message that a fellow Explorer was “stuck.” This could mean many things, but in this instance, once the mentors arrived on the scene they found an Explorer rimrocked on a small cliff along the hillside. All it took was a helping hand from one of the mentors to get out of the situation and everyone was just fine, much to the relief of a particular Explorer. Taking a moment to debrief the situation, both mentors were thoroughly impressed at how the situation was handled. When we adventure in the woods there is always inherent risk, and the difference in being safe or getting hurt comes down to how that risk is managed. In this situation both Explorers involved kept an even keel, assessed the situation, made a plan of action, and when things got beyond their ability, they sought assistance from a mentor. This exemplified great risk management. It’s very easy for someone who is not involved in a dangerous situation to quickly get themselves in harm’s way by doing too much to try and help. Additionally whomever is in a sticky situation can quickly escalate the level of danger by letting their emotions get the best of them and panicking. Neither of these things happened and the risk presented in the instance was navigated with a level of skill and ability that exemplified that maturation of not only the two boys involved, but all the Gray Wolf Pups.
In addition to debriefing our risk management, we took a moment to address a game of “war” that the Gray Wolf Pups wanted to play. Although they were just using pinecone projectiles and kept things light hearted and fun, the language associated with such games required some attention. A few of the Gray Wolf Pups recalled a previous discussion during a summer camp and shared what they had learned with the group. Language and words carry many connotations, and although something like “war” is thrown around in video games, sports, and other contexts where it takes on a meaning of good-natured competition, it is important to acknowledge the full spectrum of connotations a word can hold, and not allow ourselves to become desensitized the what something such as war truly means. This acknowledgement is not always easy, or comfortable for us to do, but is necessary for us to honor and respect something as serious as war and all of those whose lives have been lost or forever changed because of it. In a society where violence in video games is the norm and desensitization to violence and its true implications in reality are becoming increasingly present, it is paramount for these boys to hold that space of honor and respect by retaining their sensitivity and awareness, be it through language or action. Luckily the Gray Wolf Pups are a tremendous group of boys who will one day grow into strong, sensitive, and compassionate men. Whether through play, practicing skills, sharing laughs, or participating in tough conversations, these boys are flourishing into a powerful group of well-rounded individuals full of promise and potential for their bright futures.
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